Processing of fluids, in general, and, processing of liquid or/and vapor-gas fluids, in particular; processing (decontaminating, purifying, treating, reacting, synthesizing) [contaminated (waste), non-contaminated (clean, pure)] [aqueous, non-aqueous] (liquid) fluids or (vapor-gas) fluids; processing and handling of explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species, such as volatile (combustible) organic or/and inorganic compounds; and, physicochemical properties, characteristics, and behavior of explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species; theories, principles, and practices thereof, and, related and associated applications and subjects thereof, are well known and taught about in scientific, technical, and patent, literature, and currently practiced in a wide variety of numerous different fields and areas of technology.
Essentially any type or kind, and scale (size), of processing of essentially any type or kind of liquid fluid or vapor-gas fluid, where processing of the fluid involves explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species, particularly where explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species (for example, as intermediate or final products) are formed while processing the fluid, or are contained in the (initial or starting) fluid, is potentially dangerous due to the presence of the explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species. This applies to processing (decontaminating, purifying, treating, reacting) contaminated (waste) fluids that are in the form of aqueous or non-aqueous (liquid) fluids or (vapor-gas) fluids, as well as to processing (treating, reacting, synthesizing) non-contaminated (clean, pure) fluids that are in the form of aqueous or non-aqueous (liquid) fluids or (vapor-gas) fluids. Moreover, the preceding is applicable regardless of the scale (size) of the fluid processing, be it of a small size scale, such as that typically associated with a research laboratory; or of a medium size scale, such as that typically associated with a process/product development laboratory or facility, or associated with a pilot plant facility; or of a large (commercial or industrial) size scale, such as that typically associated with a commercial or industrial type of manufacturing, production, or processing facility. In each of these cases, where explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species are formed while processing the fluid, or are contained in the (initial or starting) fluid, there is potential (explosive) danger (to human life, as well as to physical infrastructure) due to the presence of the explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species.
For example, the applicant of the present invention has performed extensive work and developed inventions [e.g., as disclosed in references 1, 2] in the field(s) encompassing processing (decontaminating, purifying, treating, reacting (via thermal oxidation)) industrial contaminated water (industrial wastewater), contaminated with volatile (combustible) organic or/and inorganic compounds, where explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species are formed (as intermediate or final products), while processing the wastewater. As taught therein, in some embodiments, part of the overall wastewater treatment process involves the formation of explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species (particularly, those originating from volatile (combustible) organic or/and inorganic compounds contained in the wastewater). Such explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species exit as effluent from a steam stripper and are then fed as influent into a thermal oxidizer (for example, a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO)) for their destruction (via thermal oxidation). The effluent vapor-gas mixture exiting the steam stripper, and continuing downstream as influent for entering the thermal oxidizer (RTO), includes a particular composition or make-up (i.e., chemical types and concentrations (distribution) thereof) of explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species, which at a given set of operating conditions, can be analyzed for determining the ‘explosiveness level’ (in terms of empirically measured or/and theoretically calculated explosive or flammability limits) of the vapor-gas mixture, which, in turn, is usable for determining whether the vapor-gas mixture can be considered as being ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe’ for continued processing, i.e., via entering the thermal oxidizer (RTO).
In a first exemplary scenario, the applicant observed that, under certain processing conditions, the effluent vapor-gas mixture exiting the steam stripper, and intended for entering the thermal oxidizer (RTO), included a composition or make-up of explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species that was analyzed for determining a ‘safe’ explosiveness level of the vapor-gas mixture, which, in turn, was used for determining that the vapor-gas mixture was considered as being ‘safe’ for continued processing, via entering the thermal oxidizer (RTO). In this scenario, the thermal oxidizer (RTO) was allowed to continue operating for thermally oxidizing (destroying) the volatile (combustible) organic or/and inorganic compounds, and subsequently, the remainder of the overall wastewater treatment process was able to continue operating for processing (decontaminating, purifying) the wastewater.
In a second exemplary scenario, the applicant observed that, under certain processing conditions, the effluent vapor-gas mixture exiting the steam stripper, and intended for entering the thermal oxidizer (RTO), included a composition or make-up of explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species that was analyzed for determining an ‘unsafe’ explosiveness level of the vapor-gas mixture, which, in turn, was used for determining that the vapor-gas mixture was considered as being ‘unsafe’ for continued processing, via entering the thermal oxidizer (RTO). In this scenario, in strong contrast to the preceding scenario, the thermal oxidizer (RTO) was not allowed to continue operating for thermally oxidizing (destroying) the volatile (combustible) organic or/and inorganic compounds, whereby, the thermal oxidizer (RTO) was promptly shut down, thereby preventing ‘unsafe’ operation of the thermal oxidizer (RTO), and subsequently, the remainder of the overall wastewater treatment process was not able to continue operating for processing (decontaminating, purifying) the wastewater.
According to the preceding first exemplary scenario, so long as the effluent explosive (combustible) vapor-gas mixture exiting the steam stripper, and intended for entering the thermal oxidizer (RTO), was determined as being ‘safe’, the thermal oxidizer (RTO) was allowed to continue operating for thermally oxidizing (destroying) the volatile (combustible) organic or/and inorganic compounds, and subsequently, the remainder of the overall wastewater treatment process was able to continue operating for processing (decontaminating, purifying) the wastewater. However, according to the preceding second exemplary scenario, when the effluent explosive (combustible) vapor-gas mixture exiting the steam stripper, and intended for entering the thermal oxidizer (RTO), was determined as being ‘unsafe’, the thermal oxidizer (RTO) was shut down and not allowed to continue operating for thermally oxidizing (destroying) the volatile (combustible) organic or/and inorganic compounds, and subsequently, the remainder of the overall wastewater treatment process was not able to continue operating for processing (decontaminating, purifying) the wastewater.
The second exemplary scenario resulted in two main problems: first, a substantial amount of process ‘down time’, and second, having to properly deal with, and separately process, in a ‘safe’ and environmentally friendly manner, the ‘unsafe’ explosive (combustible) vapor-gas mixture exiting the steam stripper, that was supposed to enter the thermal oxidizer (RTO) for being thermally oxidized (destroyed). Both of these main problems translated to requiring significant expenditure of undesirable costs associated with time and (human, equipment) resources, especially with respect to processing (decontaminating, purifying) the wastewater on a large (commercial or industrial) size scale.
The preceding described second exemplary scenario illustrates just one example of significant problems and limitations associated with attempting to safely process a (liquid or vapor-gas) fluid, where the processing involves vapor-gas species that are explosive. Similar types of ‘problematic’ scenarios are generally relevant to essentially any type or kind, and scale (size), of processing of essentially any type or kind of liquid fluid or vapor-gas fluid, where processing of the fluid involves explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species. Moreover, such types of ‘problematic’ scenarios are certainly not limited to the field(s) encompassing processing (decontaminating, purifying, treating, reacting (via thermal oxidation)) industrial contaminated water (industrial wastewater), contaminated with volatile (combustible) organic or/and inorganic compounds, where explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species are formed (as intermediate or final products), while processing the wastewater. Such types of ‘problematic’ scenarios are generally relevant to a wide variety of different fields of technology which involve fluid processing, and the need for ‘safely’ processing of fluids, where processing of the fluid involves explosive (combustible) vapor-gas species.